Dry and shriveled skin that sloughs off easily Bluish or blackish colored skin Cold, numb skin Pain (sometimes, but not always present)
Swelling and pain in the infected area Skin that has changed from red to brown to black Blisters or sores accompanied by a bad-smelling discharge (pus) Fever Feeling sick in general Crackling sound when you press on the affected area
Low blood pressure Rapid heartbeat Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath A sudden change in body temperature Pain in your body A rash Confusion and/or light-headedness Cold, clammy, pale skin
If you have side effects or feel like you do not need the medication anymore, call your doctor before discontinuing them. Do not stop taking antibiotics until you have taken the entire prescription. Otherwise, they may not be effective and the infection may be harder to treat in the future.
In surgical debridement, a scalpel or scissors is used to remove devitalized tissue or unwanted debris. Enzymatic debridement involves applying various enzymatic agents to the wound.
Oxygen therapy may assist in wound healing and help to reduce the amount of tissue that needs to be amputated. [7] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Oxygen therapy has also been found to be extremely useful in surgical wound infections involving the Clostridium species that cause “gas gangrene,” which is a form of gangrene that develops inside the body. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Try to keep an open mind about maggot therapy. Sterile, lab-raised maggots are often used to treat gangrene. Because maggots will only eat dead tissue, they can be applied to the affected tissues and allowed to eat away the dead skin. This process can also help your body to heal itself and help to prevent infection. [9] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Keep in mind that even when interventions are successful to open up an artery and reestablish blood flow to the affected area, surgical removal of dead tissues is still used for gangrene in almost every case.
